


Now I'm Here

by Strump



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Hints of faith and religion, Queen makes amazing uncles, Roger Taylor is the best dad, Roger does get a girlfriend, young queen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-24 23:51:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19734175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strump/pseuds/Strump
Summary: Roger Taylor and his band, Queen, are on their way to the top when he gets a call that changes his life. He has an eight year old daughter from a fling years ago, and she needs a place to go. Chaos and fun ensue as he works to balance his life as a rock star and a twenty-six year old single father. With a little help from his best mates, plus a live-in nanny that isn't bad on the eyes, he trades his wild nights of partying for ballet classes and coloring.Can be read as Bohrap!Queen or the original members!





	1. Chapter 1

It was a warm July afternoon, 1975 when Roger Taylor received the call that would change his life forever. The phone rang shrilly through the house shared by four bandmates. Brian got to it first, answering it hesitantly. They were always cautious to answer the phone, never knowing if it would be a dedicated fan who had found a way to find their number. It had happened before. When he realized it wasn’t, he called through the house.

“Rog, it’s for you. Anne Williams?” Roger looked up from his book, placing it on his bedside table and striding into the living room, quicker than Brian would have expected. “Eager, aren’t we?” He snarked. Roger didn’t reply.

“Hello?” Roger stole the phone from Brian, shooing him away,

“Hi Rog.” Anne’s voice tinkled through the phone, sounding much like it had when they’d parted ways 8 years ago. “It’s been a while.”

He and Anne had fooled around for nearly a year when they’d been 18, before going their separate ways when the flame fizzled to friendship.

“I have something to ask. There’s no easy way to say this.” She continued when he didn’t answer, taking a deep breath. “You’ve got a daughter, Roger. And I need you to take her.” Roger’s breath billowed from his chest loudly.

“W-what?” He finally sputtered out, leaning heavily against the armrest of the couch. “No.” He shook his head. “I-I can’t.” The man was just twenty-six, a rock star quickly rising to international fame. He couldn’t be saddled with the responsibility of a child that he’d never even known about.

“Just…please come meet her. Tomorrow, noon, at that park we used to go to. Please.” Anne begged desperately. Roger felt his heart soften. Despite the fact that they’d been fuck-buddies, for lack of a better word, he had always cared about the girl. To hear her in such a state pulled at something in his heart.

“Okay.” He relented in a murmured tone, hands shaking.

“Okay.” Anne agreed, relieved. “Bye, Rog. See you tomorrow.” And then he was left with the dial tone.

“What was that all about, mate?” Brain asked, his bandmates looking up from their scrabble game to Roger’s shell-shocked expression. The blond drummer slowly hung up the phone and turned to look at them.

“I…have a daughter.” Roger muttered, rubbing his temples. “Anne asked me to take her.” He let out an incredulous laugh. “She must be eight by now, if she really is mine.” He informed.

“Are you going to take her?” Deaky broke the silence that had fallen over the band, thick and heavy at the startling news. Although, it really shouldn’t have been that startling. Freddie was almost sure Roger had lots of children with lots of different women that he didn’t know about.

“I can’t really, can I? We’re supposed to be producing a new album this year. I’m…too young for this.” He shook his head. “I’m not ready for this lifestyle change. I don’t want to be a father, I want to be a rock star.” He glanced at them unsurely, as if he was waiting for them to validate these feelings.

“You’ve got to take some responsibility, Rog.” Brian, ever the level-headed one, pointed out. “Eight years she’s been raising this girl alone. Did she say the reason she wanted you to take her?” He inquired. Roger shook his head slowly. Everything felt syrupy, or like he was underwater. Hazy and wrong.

“We’re meeting tomorrow.” He murmured.

“Don’t make any decisions until you know, then.” Brian replied easily.

“But I don’t want to be a father!” Roger shouted, as if they weren’t getting it. “I can’t do it! I’m only twenty-six! We’re just now on the rise to fame!” He exclaimed, reaching up to tug at his bleached hair.

“Well, darling, I guess you should have thought of that before you put your penis in any woman who looked your way.” Freddie replied, though there was no bite to his words. Roger frowned angrily at him, but Fred only shrugged. “You know I’m right, dear.” He punctuated the end of his sentence by placing a few tiles down, smiling victoriously at the high-scoring word. Brian groaned and leaned over, contemplating his tiles.

“Why aren’t you all more freaked out about this?” Roger demanded, looking around at his level-headed bandmates. Brian sighed as Deaky shrugged, looking up at him.

“Honestly, we’ve all seen this day coming. Your lifestyle kind of warrants this kind of thing, doesn’t it?” He offered as an explanation.

“No! It doesn’t!” Roger shouted back ragefully. “Why can’t I just have fun?” He demanded rhetorically.

“All actions have consequences, Rog.” Brian replied with a shrug, finally deciding on a word, and building it off of one of Deaky’s. The bassist frowned and huffed.

“Dammit, Bri, I was going to put a word there.” He snapped, grumbling under his breath as he rearranged his tiles and peered at the board intently.

“Piss off, the lot of you!” Roger stomped back to his bedroom, slamming the door unnecessarily loud. Freddie glanced up at the other two, but nobody said a thing as Deaky placed a word on the board.

***

Roger cleared his throat, fidgeting behind the bench. Anne turned, giving him a relieved smile, and patted the bench next to her. He took the seat, looking down at his lap.

“Hi Rog. I didn’t think you’d come.” She admitted softly. Roger turned to look at her, but she wasn’t looking at him, instead out towards the playset.

“Of course, I would.” Roger replied, nodding his head. “You know I’ll always come when you ask me to.” He assured her, turning to the play set filled with laughing children as well, but not really paying attention.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Anne stated, voice trembling. “Listen, Rog. I’m really sick.” He turned sharply, shoving his sunglasses atop his head, where they tangled in the long blonde locks. She turned a sad smile to him. “They’re sending me to a treatment facility in America. I can’t take Juliet with me.” She frowned deeply, fiddling with her hands. “And I can’t leave her with my parents. You understand.” He nodded sharply. Her parents were abusive assholes, and drug addicts. That was no place for a young child.

“Does she know? About your sickness?” Roger asked in a hushed tone. Anne turned to him, eyes glistening, and nodded.

“She knows that I have to go away, and that I may not get better or come back.” She replied. “She’s very intelligent, for an eight-year-old.” A proud smile rose on her face. “I want her to know a father’s love. It’s always just been the two of us, and I try so hard to do everything for her, but there are things that I just…can’t.” She shook her head.

“I’m sure you’re doing a wonderful job raising her, Annie.” Roger whispered, feeling his heart crack slightly. “Which one is she?” He asked, turning his eyes to the sea of children. Anne smiled wryly.

“I bet you can guess.” She replied. His eyes traveled the play set before stopping on a bright blond head sitting in a sand box chatting animatedly to the younger boy beside her as they made mounds in the sand. “She looks just like you, Rog.” She whispered. “It breaks my heart every day.” Roger winced. “Would you like to meet her?” She asked, turning to look at him. He could only nod silently. “Juliet!” she called. The small blond head perked up, blue eyes that Roger could see from the bench landing on her mom. A joyous smile rose on her face and she waved goodbye to the boy as she hurried towards the bench. “Hi baby. This is Roger.” Anne introduced when the child had gotten to them.

Close up, Roger could see that Anne was right. Juliet did look exactly like him, down to the same striking blue eyes and toe-blond hair. She was wearing a purple dress with bright pink chucks, her blond hair done into pig tails with two violet bows. The little girl contemplated the man in front of her thoughtfully before asking bluntly, “Are you my daddy?” Roger choked on air, sputtering, and coughing, and turning to look at Anne.

“Yeah baby, this is your daddy.” She replied softly, not one to lie to her daughter. The little girl stared at him for a while longer before nodding confidently.

“Okay. It’s nice to meet you, Roger daddy.” She extended a tiny hand to him. He almost smiled, his large hand dwarfing hers, and shook her hand. “I’m Juliet.”

“Wonderful to meet you, Juliet.” He replied, voice pinched, as she withdrew her hand and scrambled onto the bench to sit between her mom and the new man. The two adults moved over to make room for her as she swung her legs in the air.

“Am I coming to live with you, Roger daddy?” She asked, turning to look at him. Roger’s panic flared and he quickly looked to Anne for help.

“Your d…” She cut herself off, shooting a glance at the uncomfortable man and amending her words, “Roger still has to think about it, love.” She replied. Roger watched the young girl’s face crumple, big childlike eyes filling with tears.

“My daddy doesn’t want me?” She asked her mom, voice shaking. Roger’s eyes widened, and he struggled to find words.

“That’s not it, baby girl.” Anne replied smoothly, leaning down to wipe a big tear off of pale, porcelain skin. “Roger is a bit overwhelmed about meeting you. You know how you sometimes get overwhelmed at school?” She asked. Juliet nodded, sniffling. “That’s probably how Roger is feeling right now. He’s just met you. He still has to get to know you. The same way you make new friends.” She explained. Juliet turned to look at the man thoughtfully before nodding her head seriously.

“Okay. I’ll make friends with Roger daddy, and then maybe he’ll want me.” She replied, working it out in her young mind. Roger couldn’t help but smile affectionately. She was well spoken, and polite. Anne had clearly done a great job raising her. “Can I go play?” She asked, turning to look at the play set.

“Of course, darling. Go on.” Anne shooed her away, watching the little dress fly behind her as she ran to the play set. “I know it’s a lot, Rog. I really wouldn’t put this on you if I didn’t have a choice, but I don’t want to send her into foster care.” She turned to look at him.

“It’s just…there’s a lot going on in my life right now, Anne.” He replied, thinking of his band, of the international tours and the rock star life, and how he would be able to balance it with being a responsible father. Anne nodded in understanding.

“I know, Rog. Queen is starting to take off, and I’m sure you’ll be very busy with that for a long time. I just…I’d like you to consider it, please?” She asked. “I’ll understand if you choose to say no, and I’ll figure something else out. But if nothing else, would you please just…try to be a part of her life somewhat? Check in on her wherever she ends up?” She asked. Roger nodded.

“Yeah, of course Annie. I’ve got to get going now.” He stood, legs trembling under him, and stooped to press a soft kiss to her cheek. “I hope they find a cure.” He whispered. She smiled sadly at him and waved as he walked away from the park.

When he entered the house, his bandmates were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for him expectantly. He slumped into the open seat with a heavy sigh.

“So?” Freddie pressed when he didn’t volunteer anything. “How did it go? Do you think she’s yours?” He asked.

“She’s definitely mine.” Roger replied, nodding. “She looks just like me.” He let out a miserable sigh. “Annie is sick. They’re sending her to a facility in America, but it’s unlikely that she’ll ever come back.” He explained. Deaky gasped softly. “She’s surprisingly steady about it, but she’s worried about what’s going to happen to Juliet.”

“Juliet? That’s a beautiful name.” Brian offered, reaching out to place a hand on Roger’s shoulder. “What are you going to do?” He asked the question they all had in their minds. Roger shrugged under his hand, startled to feel a tell-tale stinging in his eyes.

“If I take her, it will change all of our lives completely. But if I don’t…” He trailed off, allowing the sentence to hang.

“You will have shirked your responsibilities as the second party in the act of parenting.” Brian supplied for him. Roger nodded.

“She’s cute. Really well-spoken. Very blunt.” He smiled a little, closing his eyes. “What would we do on tours? We couldn’t take her with us, if it’s during school.” He thought about the parties that they all attended, how he would be giving that up to stay in early with his daughter. How he could no longer bring women home. The fact that he would have to keep someone alive that wasn’t himself. That was a lot of responsibility for a twenty-six-year-old.

“We could rewrite the contract. Have the label provide us with a live-in nanny while we’re gone.” Freddie suggested. Brian nodded thoughtfully.

“I’m sure they would do that. Although, they may want a paternity test to make sure, first.” Brian agreed.

“I think it would be nice to have a younger face around here. It would bring some energy to this dull place.” Freddie added thoughtfully, long index finger tapping his chin.

“You know you wouldn’t be alone in this, Rog.” Deaky offered, smashing his way to the root of the problem. “If you’re worried about that. We’d all pitch in to help. Like…co-parenting.” He offered. Roger laughed shakily, a tear dripping down his cheek.

“I can’t stop thinking about what will happen to her if I don’t do this. What kind of home would she end up in? Would she stay here in London, or would she have to relocate? What kind of foster or adopted parents would she get?” He thought of the young girl with the bright blond hair and intelligent eyes and knew that he’d had a decision before he’d even left the park.

Seeing the resolve in his eyes, the band members all smiled at each other. It was scary, of course, the thought of having a little one running around their house, the major changes that they would have to make. But also, exciting.

When Roger phoned Anne the next day to tell her the news, she responded with a cry of relieved delight.

“Oh Rog. I’m so glad you’ve decided to. Thank you so much. Juliet will be thrilled.” Anne replied, voice trembling. Roger imagined the tears trailing down her cheeks. “At least one of her parents will be there to watch her grow up.” She whispered shakily.

“I’ll do my best for her, Annie.” Roger promised softly.

“Thank you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty emotional. I cried while I was writing it. Enjoy!

Juliet arrived just a month after Roger had agreed to take her. The boys had spent the time making her a room out of their game room, painting the walls a pale lilac color, and buying the most lavish kid’s bed they could find. They placed cream white furniture in the room and every toy an eight-year-old could dream of. Finally, the day had come. Roger paced nervously in the living room as the rest of the boys sat on the couch.

“Sit down, would you? You’re making me nervous with all that pacing.” Freddie stated, grabbing the back of Roger’s white button-down and yanking him to the couch.

“Sorry.” Roger muttered, tapping out a pattern on his knees. “I’m just anxious. What if she doesn’t like it? What if she doesn’t like _me_? What if this was a mistake?” He listed off questions, the fear evident in his voice.

“Mate calm down. She’s going to love you because you’re her father.” Brian replied, patting Roger softly on the arm. Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. Roger jumped to his feet and practically sprinted to the door. He paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself, before he opened the front door.

“Hi Rog.” Annie stood on the other side, smiling. Juliet stood beside her, dressed in cute denim jeans and a yellow jacket over a white shirt with a rainbow on it. She looked up at him nervously, one hand clasped in her mother’s and the other clutching a suitcase.

“Hi.” Roger breathed, crouching to Juliet’s level. “Hello, Juliet. It’s nice to see you again.” He smiled at her softly.

“Hi Roger daddy.” Juliet said in a small voice, squeezing her mother’s hand tightly.

“Come on in.” He stood and stepped back, allowing the two in. Juliet followed her mother and father into the living room, hiding behind Anne’s legs as she caught sight of three other strange men in the room. “This is my band. That’s Freddie, and the one in the middle is John. The one with the poodle-hair is Brian.” Roger joked, trying to ease Juliet’s obvious fear. “Guys, this is Annie and Juliet.” He gestured to each as he introduced them.

“Lovely to meet you all.” Annie said cordially, smiling gently at them. “Thank you so much…for doing this.” She thanked them, meeting each of their eyes. They all shared a silent conversation as Juliet ventured from behind her mom and carefully picked her way towards Brian.

“Can I touch your hair?” She asked politely, staring up in awe at the curls of black cascading down his shoulders. Brian grinned brightly and it brought her some relief, some of the tension in her petite body easing.

“Of course, darling.” He replied, helping her to the couch. She sat on his knees, feet dangling on either side of his legs and reached up to pull at one of the curls gently. It sprang back into place, causing her to giggle loudly and do it again. Brian laughed along with her, the girl’s smile contagious.

“It’s dark.” She stated to herself, tugging a piece of her own long blond hair to compare it to the void-black of Brian’s.

“We’re like yin and yang.” Brian agreed, glancing up at Annie. She was smiling at them gently, but her eyes were sad. Brian could only imagine how hard this goodbye must be for her.

“Why don’t you stay a little bit, Anne?” John extended a welcome invitation, standing from the couch to make his way towards her and Roger, still standing near the coffee table. She shook her head slightly.

“I can’t. My plane takes off in a few hours. I’ve got to get to Heathrow.” She replied softly. “Thank you, though.” He knew the thank you wasn’t just for the invitation. “Okay baby. Mommy’s going now.” At the announcement, Juliet abandoned Brian’s lap and hurried towards her mom. The woman crouched to her knees, tears already trailing down her cheeks. “You be good for your daddy and the boys, okay? Don’t cause any problems.” She stated.

“Mommy, I’m always good.” Juliet announced in response, giving her a watery smile.

“Yes, you are.” Anne laughed, but it devolved into a sob and she dove forward, wrapping the girl into a tight embrace. Juliet threw her arms around her mom’s neck, burying her head in the woman’s shoulder and letting out a small sob. “Just remember that mommy loves you so very much, baby. I wish things were different.” She whispered through the lump in her throat. Roger turned away to give them some privacy, a single tear dripping down his cheek.

“Mommy, will you be an angel?” Juliet asked softly. Annie let out a chuckle, pressing a kiss into the top of Juliet’s head. _Far from it._ She thought to herself, smiling wryly inside.

“I’ll always be your guardian angel, baby. Here.” Annie drew back and dug through her pocketbook before producing a heart shaped locket. Juliet watched in awe as she opened it, revealing a picture of the two of them laughing, both heads thrown back in tandem, eyes closed in pure joy. “Whenever you need mommy, just hold this locket and think of me.” She whispered, clasping it around her daughter’s neck. “I love you so very much.”

“I love you mommy. To the moon and back.” Juliet replied, reaching up to wipe a tear off of her mom’s cheek. “Don’t be sad for me, mommy. Just try to get better.” She gave the woman a smile. Anne let out another sob and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s head once more before standing. Roger gave her a tight hug, winding his arms around her as tight as he could.

“She’ll be okay.” He whispered. “Take care of yourself, okay Annie?” He asked, drawing back from the hug. She nodded, wiping the still-cascading tears from her cheeks, and turned to walk out the door. As soon as the door shut, there was a small body wrapped around his legs, rattling with loud sobs. Roger crouched down and drew the young girl to him as she clambered onto his knees, wrapping herself around his torso. “You’re gonna be okay, darling. Mommy is going to try to get better, so she can come back and see you. Would you like that?” He asked. She nodded, breath quick and heaving. “Please don’t be sad.” He whispered, pressing his face into her hair.

“Mommy isn’t coming back.” Juliet replied in a shaky voice, turning her face up to look at him, their noses almost touching. Roger was taken aback by the acceptance in her eyes, how quickly she had recognized that fact. “We talked about it a lot.” She admitted, chewing on her lower lip. “Mommy says that they can’t cure her, that she won’t be coming back, and that I shouldn’t be sad or angry at God. Sometimes, people get sick.” She said seriously, lip wobbling. “Mommy says that God is taking her back because she already did what she was supposed to do on this Earth, but that she’ll always be with me.” Roger wanted to be uncomfortable, he wasn’t necessarily a religious person, but she was looking at him so earnestly, with such hope, that he could only nod in agreement. “But…it’s really hard.” She admitted.

“I know, darling.” Roger replied shakily. “We’ll get through it together, though.”


	3. Chapter 3

_“Raising Juliet gave the band and I a reason to grow up. Looking back, she’s the reason that I learned how to cook.”_

_-Roger Taylor, 1999_

The first week of having Juliet with them was…hard. None of the boys knew what eight-year-old girls needed, and Juliet was unstable. The new home was nice, and Juliet liked her Roger daddy and his friends. But her whole life had been turned upside down in a matter of days, and her small mind didn’t know how to process it. So, it came out as tantrums, as refusals to eat and fits when they forced her to. It came out as big crocodile tears, screaming, and sleepless nights for all five of them. She’d come on a Friday. By Tuesday, Roger was running out of energy, and patience. They sat at the table together, midday sun streaming in through the window, pleading her to eat the soup that Brian had prepared.

“No.” Juliet denied, lips turned down into a defiant frown, arms crossed angrily over her chest. Freddie couldn’t help but think that her angry face looked just like Roger’s.

“Sweetie, you have to eat.” Roger sighed tiredly, scrubbing at his eyes, stinging from exhaustion.

“No.” She denied once more. Roger felt frustration bubble up in him and he took a deep breath, reminding himself that snapping at the little girl would only make things worse.

“What can we do to make you eat?” Brian took over, noticing his mate’s obvious thin-wearing patience. “How about, if you finish all of this soup, we’ll take you out for ice cream? Does that sound good?” He bribed. Juliet had to admit that ice cream did sound good, but her stomach tumbled at the thought of having to eat and she shook her head.

“Darling. You have to eat, or you’ll become sick.” Freddie tried, coaxing a spoonful of soup towards her pursed lips. She jolted away and shook her head.

“That’s it.” Roger snapped, standing up. “Go to your room. You’re grounded until you finish that soup.” He stated, pointing down the hallway towards her room. Juliet’s eyes widened and her lips trembled as tears rose. Roger held his ground, finger jabbed towards her room and a warning look on his face. “Juliet.” At the sound of her name in a stern tone, her mouth opened, and she let out a wail, tiny hands balling into fists. “Go, young lady. Now.” Roger stated over her cry. The girl’s eyes flew open, wild, and angry, and she lifted her childish fists and slammed them onto the table, rattling the dishware, accompanied with a screech.

“JULIET.” Deaky snapped, halting her cries. “That was **not** okay, young lady.” He chided, eyes narrowed in disappointment. The girl curled her lip at him and huffed, grabbing the pink bowl filled with soup and her little spoon and stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her.

“She’s definitely got Rog’s temper.” Brian sighed.

“Piss off.” Roger snapped, teeth gritted. “I don’t know if I can do this.” He admitted defeat, slumping to his seat, and putting his head in his hands.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Freddie pointed out. Roger only waved his hand dismissively.

“I don’t understand. She was so well-behaved. What happened?” He sighed.

“Well, she’s in a brand-new place. With a bunch of people she doesn’t know, and her mother is dying. She’s probably stressed.” Brian replied softly. “Have you tried talking to her? Not just as her father, but as her friend? Raising children isn’t always about punishing them. It’s about being there for them to lean on and count on no matter what. Put yourself in her shoes. Wouldn’t you react the same way?” Roger stared up at Brian, chewing on what the guitarist had said before sighing and climbing to his feet.

“When did you get so bloody good at this?” He muttered, turning, and following Juliet down the hall. He knocked softly on her door, but there was no response. “Juliet? Love? It’s Roger. Can I talk to you?” He called. There was a sniffle and then the doorknob turned. He took the invite, slipping in and softly shutting it behind him.

She was sitting on her bed, the bowl of soup untouched on her child-sized desk. He could see that she was holding the locket her mom had given her, staring at the picture on the inside. His heart broke.

“Hi love. Can I come sit with you?” He asked softly. She nodded, closing the locket, and placing it on the small nightstand. Roger took a seat on her short bed, cross-legged and facing her. “What’s going on, Juliet? I want to help you, but I can’t if I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not a mind reader.” He said softly, frowning. She played with her fingers before looking up, her young eyes searching his face.

“Do you love me, Roger daddy?” She asked softly. Roger flinched, taken aback, as his lips parted, and his eyes widened.

“Of course, I love you, darling. You’re my daughter.” He replied, finding with surprise that, even though she’d only been there for a few days, he really did love her. She smiled unsurely at him.

“I love you, too.” She admitted shyly. “I’ve never had a daddy before.” She continued. Roger’s heart broke all over again.

“I’m sorry I missed so much of your life, doll.” He apologized guiltily. She shook her head.

“That’s okay. Mommy would show me pictures of you, and we owned all of your songs.” She replied. “She said that you had a really important job, that what you did made lots of people happy. She said that I should share my daddy with the world, because it would selfish not to.” She recounted. Roger sent a silent thank you to Anne, closing his eyes momentarily.

“But now I’m here. Why are you pushing me away?” He asked. Juliet’s face fell and she looked down, picking at her pink quilt.

“I don’t mean to, Roger daddy.” She replied softly. “I’m just…scared.” She admitted, a look of frustration passing over her face at her limited vocabulary. That wasn’t really how she felt, she wasn’t actually scared, but she didn’t have the words to describe how she was feeling. Roger nodded in understanding.

“That makes sense.” He replied evenly. “What can we do to make things easier for you?” He asked softly. Juliet took on a look of deep concentration, eyebrows furrowing in the most adorable expression that Roger wished he had his camera.

“I used to do ballet on Saturdays, but when mommy got sick, we couldn’t afford it anymore. Mommy had to use my class money to get her medicine.” She finally spoke, still picking at her quilt.

“Do you think going to ballet might make it easier for you to settle in?” He asked curiously. Juliet nodded vigorously. “Okay, I’ll enroll you back in your ballet classes.” Roger would do anything to see the look of ecstatic delight that spread on her face, splitting her mouth into a grin with a few missing teeth. “But,” He interrupted her before she could get a happy shriek out of her mouth, “you have to eat your soup.” He compromised with her. She glanced at the bowl and nodded quickly.

“Am I allowed to eat out there? With you and uncles?” She asked softly.

“Of course, baby girl.” Roger replied softly. “Oh, and Juliet?” He asked, finally remembering to address something he’d been meaning to for a while. She looked up at him curiously. “You can just call me daddy.” If it was possible, her smile was even brighter than it had been minutes ago.


End file.
